Duke is in the process of formulating contingency plans for the roster in the event of unforeseen departures

The NBA Combine is scheduled to commence next week, and the Blue Devil roster remains uncertain.

The Duke basketball program is currently in a temporary pause as it awaits additional information regarding its potential 2025-26 roster in the wake of the NBA Draft Combine.

The Blue Devils have two potential members of their team, Isaiah Evans and Washington State transfer Cedric Coward, who are participating in the event in Chicago next week. Jon Scheyer is already developing contingency plans in the event that the worst-case scenario occurs and both players choose to pursue professional careers.

Evans has already declared his intention to return for his sophomore season, and it was unexpected that his name was still included in the NBA Draft entrants list. However, he intends to attend the combine and receive evaluations from various organizations.

Coward consistently declared his intention to participate in the NBA Draft process; however, his interviews subsequent to his committment to Duke suggested that he would be playing for the Blue Devils the following season.

This weekend, Duke hosted 2025 prospect Braydon Hawthorne and 2026 prospect Sebastian Wilkins on visits in an effort to have options to pivot to. Wilkins is a reclass candidate who has the potential to play collegiate basketball next season, while Hawthorne has decommitted from West Virginia following its coaching change.

Neither recruit has provided any indication as to when a decision may be forthcoming; however, it may be advantageous for both to postpone the decision until the end of May, when players must determine whether to continue in the NBA Draft or return to college.

Desmond Claude, a transfer from USC, has also been contacted by Scheyer and his coaching staff, following his significant association with Florida over the past two weeks. After it was reported that the two parties have spoken, many are linking Claude to the Blue Devils, and the Gators are no longer in the running for him.

According to reports, Claude is also affiliated with other institutions, including Virginia, Gonzaga, and Ole Miss.

Although Duke is striving to finalize its roster, the program’s most significant week of the offseason may occur in Chicago next week, when Evans and Coward have the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities to NBA teams.

Jonathan Scheyer is developing the basketball schedule for Duke, with the potential for significant modifications to the ACC.

This season, the Blue Devils are not evading any significant non-conference contests.

Jon Scheyer, the head coach of Duke basketball, participated in a practice session for the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA tournament at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX, USA, on April 4, 2025. Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The Duke basketball schedule will not be interrupted this season; however, the crucible that Jon Scheyer is constructing could yield its benefits in the postseason, when the Blue Devils are pitted against the nation’s most elite teams.

Currently, he has six significant games scheduled for the 2025-26 season, including neutral site matchups with Texas (Charlotte), Kansas (New York), Arkansas (Chicago), and Michigan (Washington D.C.). Additionally, he is expected to participate in the ACC vs. SEC Challenge and travel to Michigan State.

Additionally, Duke will participate in a road game against Army on Veteran’s Day as part of its three-year series.

Scheyer and his coaching staff anticipate substantial modifications to the ACC basketball schedule, as evidenced by the substantial emphasis on the non-conference schedule.

There has been discussion regarding the possibility of reducing the schedule from 20 games to 18 games, following the struggles of numerous teams in the conference this season and the league’s selection of only four teams to the NCAA Tournament.

CBS Sports initially disclosed the scheduling modification concept.

The rationale for the schedule modification is to ensure that the school’s postseason resume is bolstered by the inclusion of more high-profile non-ACC contests. Although Duke does not belong to this category, the Blue Devils are undoubtedly capitalizing on the opportunity to secure top-tier contests.

The fact that Duke has already scheduled six games for the upcoming season, with a potential home-and-home series still unresolved, and has five premium non-conference games this season suggests that Scheyer anticipates the passage of this new scheduling rule.

The proposition would be implemented this season if the ACC presidents and athletic directors approve it at their meeting in May.

The utmost number of regular season game a team can play is 31, meaning if the ACC reduces back to 18 league games it could create 13 non-conference games. Five of the Blue Devils’ six ‘buy games’ occurred during the previous season.

Jon Scheyer is in the process of attempting to replicate the success of Duke’s game against Illinois at Madison Square Garden in February by playing Michigan in the midst of conference play.

Despite the fact that there is still much to be determined regarding the ACC basketball schedule, it appears that the Blue Devils may be adding one more significant game to their gauntlet, and the docket may consist of 18 games.